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Rats are a familiar nuisance in many buildings, yet their year-round hiding places — especially wall voids — can seem mysterious until spring returns. Understanding why rats choose these narrow, hidden cavities for months at a time requires looking at their biology, behavior, and the microclimate that human structures create. Wall voids offer stable temperatures,…

Late winter around Puget Sound is a deceptively active time for pests. The region’s mild, wet winters and the protection of coastal topography mean that many insects and small mammals avoid the deep dormancy seen farther inland and instead seek out warm, dry refuges inside or near homes. As temperatures fluctuate and the first sunnier…

Cold weather is one of the most important natural checks on pest populations because temperature strongly governs the physiological processes that drive growth, development and reproduction. For many invertebrate pests — insects, mites, nematodes — and for some pathogens and vertebrate pests, low temperatures slow metabolic rates, reduce feeding and movement, and interfere with the…

In Seattle, seeing mice scurrying through a house or hearing them in the walls well into February is a common — and frustrating — surprise for many residents. Unlike regions with harsh, bone-chilling winters that put wildlife into torpor or push them into deep hibernation, the Pacific Northwest’s mild, wet winter climate and the city’s…

February is a month when the gap between outdoor scarcity and indoor abundance becomes stark for small mammals. As winter tightens its grip across much of the Northern Hemisphere, natural food sources — seeds, insects and green vegetation — become harder to find or are buried under snow and ice. At the same time, homes,…

Seattle’s damp, mild climate makes every gap, crack and unsealed vent a potential invitation — not just for cold drafts and rainwater, but for pests and wildlife looking for shelter as seasons change. Taking time to find and seal entry points before March is a practical, proactive step: it protects homes from moisture intrusion and…

When winter tightens its grip, February is often the month when urban and suburban rats most visibly shift their behavior to take advantage of human-made warmth. Utility lines — steam mains, hot water and heating pipes, HVAC ducts, electrical conduits and even insulated cable trays — create continuous, relatively warm corridors through otherwise cold environments….

Late winter in Seattle — that late-February to March window when rain-softened ground and gradually warming days hint at spring — is also a critical time for pest activity around townhomes. The city’s mild, wet winters let many insects and small mammals survive outdoors longer and begin moving in search of warmth, dryness and food…

Seattle’s reputation for damp winters, mild temperatures and tightly packed neighborhoods does more than shape its skyline and culture — it creates nearly ideal conditions for pests to thrive year-round. Unlike cities with prolonged cold snaps that periodically interrupt insect and rodent life cycles, Seattle’s maritime climate keeps average winter temperatures close to freezing rather…

As winter loosens its grip in February, many homeowners expect a lull in pest activity. Instead, moisture retention — in soil, landscaping, building envelopes and hidden indoor spaces — often fuels ongoing infestations that intensify just as people begin preparing for spring. Water that lingers from snowmelt, ice dams, clogged gutters, slow-draining soil or leaky…